A Measley Little Tale
by Esmeia
Summary: Measley's early life, leading up to his meeting with Weasel.
1. Chapter 1

**A Measley Little Tale**

I started this story because there is a _severe _lack of Farthing Wood stuff out there. And even less stuff about any of the characters besides Fox and his family. I had lots of fun writing about the other characters, and I hope you enjoy.

* * *

Cries of pain rose from the small den, causing the auburn young weasel to wince, feeling helpless. His mate, his friend, his only love, Jessamine, was in terrible pain. And there was nothing he could do about it.

His sensitive ears swivelled and twitched around on top of his head, keen on homing in on any scampering rabbits, or even a small mouse. Forest green eyes scanned the endless expanse of white hills and clearings, his nose twitching as it picked up the scent of a mouse, maybe two of them. Quickly dashing in the direction of the scent, he spotted two mice picking at some seed, oblivious to the looming weasel not too far away.

Crouching down, he crept closer and closer, until he was only a few feet away. The crunch of snow underneath his paws alerted the two feeding rodents, sending them reeling around and squeaking in horror as he lunged at them.

Before they could even move more than three hops, they were pinned under his claws. He then bit them both on the back of their necks, quickly silencing the squealing pair.

Licking his lips of their blood, he cautiously looked about his surroundings. Thick blankets of snow coated the withering branches of the once splendid oak trees. The bushes, once lush with vegetation, looked like large snowballs in the winter season. Although he was a top predator here in the park, he knew better than to wander about recklessly. Foxes, owls, and snakes could easily kill him if he wasn't careful.

Feeling that he was safe, he picked up the two mice by the tails and darted back to his earth. His stomach growled loudly as he tasted his kill. He hadn't eaten since yesterday; winter always meant a fierce competition for food amongst the carnivores. It didn't help that the prey was very aware of this fact, and took great measures to make themselves scarce, only coming out of their respective hiding places to feed if they did not gather enough during the warmer seasons.

Resisting the intense urge to feast on one of the plump mice, he made his way into the warmth of his den, no longer hearing the pained cries of Jessamine. Fear stabbed at his heart as he quickened his pace. _Please, god, don't let her die..._

As he came into the spacious room of their earth, he sighed in relief as Jessamine lied there, snuggled into the thick bed of grass he had made for her months ago. He approached her cautiously, offering his catch to her. She smiled warmly at him, still panting heavily from going into labor.

"Thank you, Flint." The honey colored weasel said gratefully, licking at the small kills. Flint nervously cleared his throat.

Rolling her eyes playfully, she brushed aside a few strands of bedding to show him a large, pink litter of newborns. Every one of them were tiny, blind things, their skin slightly wrinkled as they huddled close to each other, and their mother, for warmth. Some of them lifted their small heads, eager for their mother's milk. Jessamine cooed softly at the young ones, helping them feed from her. Flint's heart filled with pride at his first litter of kits.

"How many are there?" he asked, padding over to lie next to Jessamine, resting his head on her back as he watched the wiggling pink kits.

Taking a few seconds to recount them, she responded proudly. "Eight."

"Wow! Really?! That's a full litter!"

_I can't believe it! Eight kits right off the bat! I can't wait to start teaching my boys how to hunt, fight-_

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" Jessamine purred, nuzzling him lovingly as they watched their babies slowly curl up against her, yawning with a small squeak. Flint grinned, rubbing his head against hers.

"That they are, Jess. That they are."

* * *

Jessamine sighed in irritation, glaring at her stubborn partner as he blocked the exit of their den. He refused to let her go hunting, ignoring every demand she made for him to get out of her way. It was really starting to get on her nerves. Though she loved tending to her newborns, she was eager to stretch out a bit and hunt down something for herself and Flint. Besides that, she was quickly becoming bored with only seeing the dirt walls around her all the time.

"Sorry, Jess, but I don't think you've recovered enough to go out there alone. What about the kits?"

Jessamine gave him an agitated look. "I have no intention of leaving them alone! I would think you would stay with them while I got us something to eat!"

Flint shook his head, sighing. "That's not what I meant."

Her eyes narrowed in confusion, tilting her head to the side. "Then what do you mean, Flint?"

"I mean, what if you go out there? It's very likely that you won't pay full attention out there, you gave birth only ten days ago. Any one of those damned blue foxes wouldn't think twice about taking advantage of that. I couldn't bear to lose you, and our little ones would surely die without you." He said this to her with complete sincerity, the pleading look in his eyes making her feel completely foolish.

Looking down in shame, she nodded in understand. "You're right. I didn't really think of that..."

A pleased, toothy grin spread across the male's face. Though his mate was, to him, one of the sweetest things on earth, she could be surprisingly stubborn if she set her mind on something. Her slender, attractive frame also betrayed her ability to fight and defend herself with ease, a shocking fact he realized when he first met her. He still chuckled at the memory.

"I'll see what I can find out there. Make sure you and the kits stay nice and warm, alright?" With that, he turned around and bounded out of their home, sliding to a halt on a tall hill not too far off. Standing on his hind legs, he inhaled the crisp, cold air.

_Hmm. Not a thing around for miles. _He sighed in disappointment, craning his neck around to survey his territory. A light blue flash of color caught his attention and he immediately crouched down, praying she didn't notice him. He saw the slender vixen below him pound against the snow and ice beneath her, trying to drive out a mouse hiding beneath it. He gulped nervously, watching her snatch the mouse up by the neck as it attempted to bolt from his hole, his neck crunched painfully between her fangs. Wasting little time, she quickly devoured the small body, licking her lips of its taste.

_Ugh.. that could have very easily been me, had I not been paying attention. I wonder why she wandered so far from her territory. Surely food hasn't become THAT scarce?_

The dark blue vixen, who went by the name of Midnight, was the unchallenged alpha female of the blue foxes. A strong, yet elegant build made her a feared predator around White Deer Park, as well as the object of many fox males' attentions. Her eyes were a warm, golden color; a rare trait to see in foxes. Those same eyes, though beautiful at first glance, were always coolly calculating any situation she came across. Flint shivered at the thought of seeing those staring, gold orbs in the middle of the night, lunging at him as she sunk her fangs into his flesh. It was the last thing any of her victims saw before their painful demise.

Flint remained close to the ground, watching her every move. Midnight was leisurely grooming her paws of her kill, wrapping her fluffy tail around herself. Once she was done, shaking her fur of the cold white snow, she walked back into the trees. Flint, despite his earlier suspicions, couldn't help but wonder what made her come so close to his own home. Glancing about himself again, he silently followed Midnight into the trees, making sure to keep a few yards between them.

Now, most creatures wouldn't dare follow a fox through the woods, much less one that would gladly make a meal of them in the harsh cold of winter. But Flint wanted to know everything when it came to the resident foxes. His territory was far enough away where he rarely had to come across any of the clan. That didn't stop him from wanting to know what their intentions were. Poachers were very rare in the reserve, which meant that the foxes' numbers could continue to grow without anything limiting them. This meant that his family's safety might, in the near future, be compromised should the blue foxes decide to expand their territory. In the event of that happening, he wasn't too sure of what he'd be able to do to protect them. Thought he was considered one of the biggest of his kind, he had no chance against one of the bigger carnivores.

The subject of his thought came to a sudden hault, her nose sniffing the air. Flint's heart pounded in his chest as he dove behind a large Pine tree. He slowly glanced around the corner, watching her glance around before continuing on her path. He exhaled shakily, leaning against the rough surface of the tree.

_What the hell am I doing? I could get myself killed out here. And after lecturing Jessamine about being careful..._ he scolded himself, watching Midnight bound down the other side of a hill. _It's not worth it._

Before he could make off in the opposite direction, a flurry of wings flapped overhead, startling the young weasel. He snapped his head up to look at a large, snow-white owl perch on a thick branch above him. He tensed up his shoulders, prepared to take on the large bird should it try and attack him.

The owl cocked his large, neatly smoothed head to the side, staring at the weasel below him. "And what purpose, if you don't mind me asking, do you hope to accomplish walking right into fox territory?" He asked curiously, seeming completely baffled by the sight of the smaller animal. Flint's broad shoulders relaxed a bit as he stared back at the ivory owl.

_If he really wanted to kill me, he would have just taken me out with an aerial attack. Why take the time to perch there, much less ask me a question? _Flint wondered, taking a few steps away from the large owl.

"Well, I'm not really sure why I did this myself, to be honest. Midnight hardly ever ventures outside her boundaries." He replied quietly. Big, blue eyes widened in amusement.

"Oh, you mean that vixen? Of the blue foxes? I would think she would, seeing as she's had pups. Got to provide for them, you know." The owl said matter-of-factly, ruffling his unusually clean feathers. Flint felt his blood run cold.

"She's had pups? How many? When was this?" He questioned frantically. It felt as though his worst nightmare had become reality. There were already around forty of the mongrels already!

The owl chuckled at Flint, earning him a sharp glare from the young weasel. "Why don't you see for yourself?"

He pointed one of his broad wings towards the top of the hill Midnight had descended from. Flint glanced up at the owl, suspicious.

"Oh, don't worry, dear boy. I'm much too full to bother with hunting." He laughed jovially. Flint rolled his eyes as he tip-toed his way to the hill, looking down the steep slope. He saw many young, teenage males and females play-fighting in the snow, nipping at barking at each other. Some of the older members of the clan were darting in and out of a large hole in the side of a large hill, taking various forms of prey inside. He could see no sign of Midnight or her new litter.

Flint clicked his tongue in annoyance, mumbling. "I don't see them, owl."

"Oh, they'll be out in a second or two. It's feeding time by now."

Just as the owl had predicted, he spotted four small puppies emerge from the entrance, wagging their tails happily. Not too far behind them was Midnight and her mate, Thunder. The alpha male of the foxes was relatively strong, never really standing out from his peers in terms of strength. What really made him a good mate for Midnight, Flint guessed, was his cunning. He could strategize like no other, even going so far as to hunting some of the white deer that resided nearby. Flint had never seen anything like it in his life.

The new additions consisted of two females and two males. The males seemed to take after their mother; deep blue fur greatly resembled Midnights, and their hazel eyes really set them apart from the others. Her daughters took on a softer complexion, much like their father's. They had dark manes that ran along the back of their heads and necks, and they had an elegant look to their eyes and faces. Midnight and Thunder looked on in pride at their litter as the little ones ran around in the snow.

Flint, feeling he had seen enough, backtracked a bit. Looking up at the owl once more, he asked "Four new foxes to worry about, I see."

"Aye. And a lot more competition for food as well." He responded irritably, narrowing his light blue eyes.

"You seem to have had a good hunt, however. I didn't think anyone would be eating so well in these harsh times." Flint pointed out the owl's full, round figure.

"Ah, well, I've expanded my hunting grounds beyond White Deer Park. I've actually found hunting in the woods a few miles off most profitable."

Flint's ears twitched with interest. He had never ventured out of the Park before. His parents had always told him stories of their travels outside of the reserves; poachers at every turn, predators, shortage of food, humans taking their homes. Yet this owl regularly went outside of it.

Resisting the urge to ask the owl of his experience outside, he started to make his way back home. "Well, goodbye."

"Goodbye, old chap. If you ever want to chat, or need some advice, ask for Frost." The owl hooted, taking off from his perch.

_Right. Who ever heard of a weasel and an owl having conversations anyway? The old fool._ Flint mused as he darted through the trees, a safe distance from the foxes' den.

* * *

I hope you all liked the first chapter! I hope I did alright on it. xD

Next chapter, you'll get to see the genders and names of the eight weasel babies! Names for some of them are being taken now, so if you have some name ideas, let me hear it! Preferably, the names must be nature-themed. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

**A Measley Little Tale**

**Ch. 2**

_Thank you for any reviews. c: I really appreciate them._

_So, I've decided I like these names: Silver, Fawn, Purity, Faith, Breeze, Dusk, Shade. _

* * *

"Flint, come look! I can tell you what genders the babies are now. I couldn't check a few days ago, since they were as small as acorns. But now, their differences are so obvious."

Flint yawned, slowly lifting a heavy eyelid to stare at his mate. She was looking at him eagerly, excitement dancing in her violet eyes. He sighed. It was always hard to tell the girl "no"...

"Alright, let's have a look see." He walked around their grass nest, examining the little kits. They were a lot bigger now, with a wide variety of colors. He noticed that some were noticeably bigger than the others. He assumed the bigger ones were his sons.

Jessamine carefully nudged one of the squeaking babies over, examining it's underside carefully. "This one's a boy. Congratulations, Daddy."

The largest male of the litter tried to wiggle away from her paw, nipping at her playfully. Flint couldn't see his eyes, since all of their offspring were still squeezed tight at this stage. The kit had a dark, chestnut complexion, with a tan underbelly. His father could already predicted he would be the strongest of the litter, and he couldn't wait to teach him all of his hunting tricks!

"I think... his name should be Shade. He's the darkest of all of them; even darker than you and me." He suggested, nuzzling the small kit. It gently pawed at his nose, recognizing his scent.

Jessamine nodded, smiling as she watched them play. "I think that's a perfect name. Shade it is."

She gently turned over another one, giving it the same once-over as she did Shade. "This one's a girl!"

"Oh? How about-"

"Oh, no you don't." Jessamine grinned, nuzzling the small bundle. "We agreed early on that you would name the boys, and I would name the girls."

Flint rolled his eyes. _Fine, works for me. I always preferred to have sons in the first place._

"Fine, then. What do you want to name her?"

Jessamine admired her daughter's light, almost white, fur color. She was unusually light for a weasel. Why, she could have easily been mistaken for a baby stoat! But she had the same strong build of a weasel, and that would likely give her many advantages. Her mother licked along the baby girl, grooming her lovingly.

"Silver. She's such a light color. A really light beige, don't you think?" Jessamine cooed at the little girl, nuzzling her nose against the baby's smaller, pink one.

Flint shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

Turning over a third kit, who was eagerly suckling from her, Jessamine announced. "Another girl!"

Flint felt a twinge of disappointment. It wasn't that he didn't love his daughters; he just thought raising girls wouldn't be as much fun. He wanted sons to run around with, hunt with, play-fight with. Teach how to be strong, clever adult weasels. He didn't have much experience with raising girls, since he had only grown up around his brothers.

"Is that right? What do you want to name her?" He asked, feigning interest.

"Hmm... she seems to have my color! But.. oh! She has the same black-tipped tail as you do." Jessamine pointed at the kit's twitching tail, it ending with a dark band.

Flint nodded. "So...?"

"Hm...Fawn. Kind of like a deer." Jessamine stated with confidence, letting the small kit snuggle closer to her stomach. This was her first litter, and she couldn't be happier! She really didn't have any preferences when it came to the genders of her children, feeling that she'd love them all regardless. They were such tiny, adorable things. Although it had only been little more than two weeks since she had them, she had already felt an unbreakable bond and love for them all. She only hoped she could be a good enough mother and mate for her family.

Flint caught one of the kits as it rolled off the nest, placing it back in the center. "What about that one?"

Jessamine looked it over. "A boy!"

Flint sighed in relief. He looked over the adventurous little boy, watching him recklessly move around. He was pretty fast, even for his infant size. He had a soft, peach complexion, with a brown patch on his back.

"Breeze. He seems to be the fastest." He laughed, nudging him back into the center as he attempted to escape again. Breeze let out a startled squeak, rolling over onto a sleeping ball of fluff. The ball turned out to be a chocolate-colored kit, with black markings under its eyes. Jessamine cooed at the whining baby, comforting it as it roused from its sleep.

"Mmm... this one's a girl." She smiled as her daughter sniffled, quieting down at her mother's kisses. "She's a sweetheart... Purity. Little Purity."

Flint nodded in agreement. Purity definitely took after him as far as looks were concerned. However, she seemed to take after her mother, inheriting her sweet disposition.

High-pitched squeaking startled the two parents, causing them to look around in alarm. Flint jumped up, taken aback.

"Hey now! Stop that RIGHT now!" She scolded, picking up one of the kits by the scruff of its neck. The small baby squirmed against her hold, growling. She set it down on the opposite side of the nest. She looked over it before stating: "It's a boy!"

Flint grinned in pride. _Ah, a fighter right off the bat! That's what a proud father wants to see._

"Mm. I rather fancy the name Dusk for that little rascal. He's not the biggest one, but he certainly is the feistiest." Flints voice held hints of amusement. He gently pawed at Dusk, grinning as he immediately wrapped his little legs around his paw. His son growled and nipped at him.

Jessamine chuckled, finding her husband's interest in their son's rough behavior comical. She turned towards the small baby Dusk had nipped at, bringing it close to snuggle in the curve of her arms.

"Poor baby. I won't let your big brother bully you again, no I won't..." she said softly, nuzzling the golden-brown, shivering kit. It settled down a bit, still sniffling from the painful bite.

"Flint, this one's a boy as well." She announced. Flint's head snapped up at this, staring at the kit in disbelief.

_That little wimp? The one Dusk easily pushed over? Is she telling me that's **not** a girl?_

He took a closer look at the crying baby. He was the smallest of the bunch, with rich, golden-brown fur. He was a bit frail as well, oftentimes tumbling over himself. Flint curled his lip up in disgust.

"Measley."

"What?" Jessamine replied, looking up at Flint with shock.

"Measley. Look at him!"

Jessamine brought her son closer to her, as though she wanted to shield him from the hurtful words of his father. Her normally soft, gentle eyes narrowed in anger and disgust at her mate. "There is **NO **way you're naming my baby that."

"Jess, we agreed I could name the boys, remember? Besides, he's my... _son_, too." He said in a bitter tone. To have such beautiful, strong sons so far, and then... have _this. This runt._

Jessamine frowned at him. "Why? Because he's the smallest of them? So what! I was the smallest of my brothers and sisters too, you know. And I turned out to be the only survivor from that litter!"

"That was _you_, Jess. This one.. I can't see him making it." He said bluntly, turning away.

Nothing could have possibly hurt her more. She curled up, holding Measley close. Measley licked along her cheek, cooing. _I don't believe him! How could he? How __**dare **__he? Such a sweet little thing... my Measley. Already shunned by his own father._

Jessamine felt warm tears trail down her cheeks. She wiped them away quickly on the back her paw, refusing to show how heartbroken she truly was. Little paws walked over her larger one as her eighth kit snuggled beside Measley, snuggling into her him. Jessamine smiled down at the little girl, touched that she wanted to comfort her brother. _My beautiful babies..._

"Faith. This one's a girl. The one that came over here to be beside Measley." She said pointedly. Flint glanced over his shoulder and grunted in acknowledgment. Furious, Jessamine glared at his back.

"And like it or not, I intend to do the same."

* * *

"Jess, I don't think this is a good idea. What if you're still weak from the pregnancy?"

Jessamine had adamantly told Flint that she wanted to stretch out her legs and go hunting. They were just outside the entrance of their home, the cold sheets of snow crunching beneath their paws. Flint was persistently attempting to convince her to stay back in the burrow, and let him catch something for her. However, Jessamine denied the offer.

"Flint, please. I need the exercise, not to mention I don't want to fall out of practice." Jessamine began to walk down the small hill they resided on, feeling her muscles stretch out a bit. Flint attempted to follow her, but she glared at him.

"I'm serious, don't worry. You need to stay with the kits. I won't be gone long." With that, she ran off into the trees before he could protest any further.

"Just be careful!" She heard him call. A small smile spread on her face. _He can be such a worry-wart sometimes._

She crunched through the snow, the sounds of her footsteps echoing slightly in the silent forest. She sniffed around for a meal: a mouse, a shrew, anything! She spotted a couple of red squirrels who darted across the treetops, safe from her reach. The female turned around and childishly blew a raspberry at her. Jessamine growled softly, causing the squirrel to laugh and hop off after her mate.

_Stupid squirrels. I envy those who can make a meal out of them._ Ignoring the pesky creatures, she continued to wade through the thick snow. Her ears were focused on picking up any sign of life in the snow. Not too far off, she heard a light scratching against the snow. Bowing her head and scanning the area, she spotted a small bird peck at the snow, looking for a morsel. Smiling, she slowly crept towards it, carefully sinking her paws into the snow so she wouldn't make too much noise. A few feet from the bird, and it was still oblivious of her. In range, she pounced on it's back, pinning it down.

The little bluebird chirped in fear, flapping it's wings frantically. She quickly delivered a firm bite to the base of it scull, killing it quickly. Licking her lips of its blood, she picked it up to take back home. As she prepared to head back, she spotted a pair of bright yellow eyes staring at her from the distance.

Jessamine froze in her tracks, temporarily stunned. For a minute, she thought it was one of the blue foxes who had spotted her. Well, she was right: except it wasn't a full-grown fox, but a pup. Flint had shared with her the news of Midnight and Thunder having a litter of four. _That must be one of them. And if he's here, no doubt his parents are somewhere close behind._

Jessamine quickly darted away from the pup, who started to pursue her. She could hear it's high-pitched barking as it gave chase. She easily outran the young fox,slipping inside a small, abandoned burrow. From inside the burrow, she could see the legs of the fox pup. She saw it's small body turn around a number of times, trying to find out where she went.

"Scarface! Scarface, get back here!"

_That's Thunder._ Jessamine watched as the pup named Scarface ran back to his father, barking as he went. She continued to listen in.

"_Sorry, dad. I thought I saw one of those weasels." The voice of the pup was slightly gruff. He definitely sounded like he took after his father. _

"_Oh? A weasel? There's only a few families of weasels in the park. I don't want you trying to hunt one of those, you hear? They can be right nasty if backed into a corner. Leave that to your father, eh?"_

"_Right dad!"_

"_That's my boy." Thunder cooed. She then heard the two walk off, likely to rejoin the rest of their pack. Jessamine waited a few minutes before cautiously leaving the burrow and heading back home. When she returned, she found little Measley out of the nest, crying._

She dropped her meal and immediately went to help her son, picking him up and placing him back in the nest. His crying ceased almost immediately, and he smiled up at her. All of their kit's eyes were open now; Measley's eyes were a forest green. _As much as Flint tries to deny him, he does have his father's eyes._ Jessamine thought bitterly, kissing Measley's forehead.

Measley smiled brightly, flicking his tail. She smiled back before looking around the den. Her smile immediately turned into a frown as she spotted her mate, who was playing with their sons Shade, Dusk and Breeze. _What the -? He has the nerve to shun Measley and the girls like that?_

"Flint!" Jessamine called out angrily. Flint jumped a bit, turning around to look at her. Their three sons were play-fighting with eachother in front of him.

"Oh! Jess! Uh.. I didn't hear you come in..." Flint said, giving her his best smile. Her ice cold gaze made it fade away quickly.

"Did you know Measley was on the ground, crying his eyes out? Oh, ofcourse you did. You were just _ignoring_ him!" Jessamine growled, teeth bared. Flint flinched, looking down at his feet. "And what about your daughters? Why can't they play as well?"

"Girls don't play-fight." Flint said sternly, shaking his head. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard fly out of your mouth! Ofcourse they do! They need to learn how to defend themselves just as much as the boys do!" Jessamine argued, looking over at her four daughters. They were all sleeping soundly next to eachother. Flint grunted, turning back to his three sons. Jessamine had a good mind to go over there and give him a good bite, but she remembered that she needed to eat and feed her children.

Making sure Measley was safely in the nest, she headed back to the entrance to retrieve her meal. She came back and snuggled down beside her litter, letting them cuddle up to her. She sighed in contentment, tearing into her catch hungrily. She felt little paws climb over her back and she knew it was Shade, Dusk, and Breeze coming to suckle from her. She turned over a bit so all of them could have easy access. Flint snuggled down next to her as well, much to her annoyance.

"I better not see him on the ground like that again, Flint. I don't like you playing favorites with your own kits." Jessamine growled, glaring at him over her meal. Flint sighed, nodding.

"Alright, Jess, I got it. I'll pay more attention next time. This is my first time raising the litter without you, you know." Flint grumbled, laying his head on his paws. Jessamine rolled her eyes, nuzzling away the feathers of her catch to get at the real meat beneath.

"Anyway, how'd you manage a bird? In this snow, it's way too easy for them to hear something sneaking up on them." Flint marveled, watching her pull at the leg. Jessamine chewed and swallowed the bit of meat before answering.

"Oh, believe me, there was hardly anything out there to eat! I'm guessing this one was either inexperienced or dumb, because I sneaked up on him with little difficulty. I would have moved on to get you something, but I ran into one of Thunder's pups." Jessamine sighed, finishing her dinner and licking her lips. Flint's eyes widened in surprise, his head rising.

"Really? One of the pups chased you?" He asked incredulously. Jessamine nodded.

"He did! It scared the life out of me, it did. So young, yet he's already trying to hunt and maim smaller animals! The little devil's name is Scarface." Jessamine said, shivering at the name. Flint furrowed a brow.

"Scarface? What kind of name is that?" He asked, shaking his head. "Great parent, Thunder is."

Jessamine bit her tongue. _No better than you, I'm sure. It's no better than naming your own son 'Measley.'_

"I think those little foxes will cause a lot of problems, Flint. I don't know how we're going to start teaching the little ones. Why, I'd be worried sick to even let them go outside the den!" Jessamine curled herself around her children, her heart racing at the very thought of one of those beastly foxes getting a hold of them. Flint rested his head on her back, nuzzling her fur in a comforting way.

"Don't worry, love. I promise I won't let anything happen to them. We'll raise them right, so they'll know how to avoid them." Flint reassured her. Licking along her fur. Jessamine smiled, feeling relieved.

"Is that a promise?"

"That's a promise."

* * *

Two weeks later, the kits were now fully active, and had even learned to communicate fairly well. Flint suggested that the whole family go out and explore. As much as Jessamine wanted to, she couldn't shake the fear of the ever-present blue foxes off her mind. However, when the kits were beginning to be weaned, she finally gave in. Today was the day the family would go out of the den.

Measley was very excited. He had caught glimpses of many strange and unusual animals from inside the den., and he was very curious to see more. He spotted his father sitting impatiently at the entrance, urging the rest of the family to hurry up. Smiling, he ran over to him.

"Father, where are we going today?" He asked, cheerful. His father regarded him with bored eyes, but decided to answer nonetheless.

"We're going to the pond to play... or something." Flint's answer was short, and came out more as a grunt. Measley wondered why he was so short with him today, but he didn't take it personally. Silver joined hi, nudging him away and to the other side of the den. He stumbled a bit, confused at her sudden pushing.

"Ow! Silver, what's the matter?" He asked, looking at his younger sister. Her dark gray eyes darted between her father and Measley for a few seconds before she replied.

"Don't bother, Measley. You know how Dad can get. He plays favorites! I just know it." Silver said, nodding her head. Measley blinked.

"Really? Then... who does he favor?" He wondered, looking over at their other brothers and sisters. Silver's eyes narrowed, looking straight at their brothers.

"He fancies them." Silver said bitterly. Measley tilted his head, watching them chase eachother around.

"Why them? Aren't we just as good?" He voiced, slightly hurt. Silver gave him a concerned look, nodding.

"We are! But I think he believes that because they're bigger, or faster, that they're better than us." She whispered, not wanting their father to overhear their conversation. However, they had to drop their conversation anyway as their mother and the rest of their family gathered around the entrance.

"Alright, my little ones. I want you in our sight at _all _times. Is that understood?" Jessamine said, looking around at the eight little weasels. They all nodded their understanding. "And don't eat, touch, or even MESS with anything until you let one of us know."

Flint rolled his eyes, laughing. "Hon, settle down. We'll be watching the whole time. Let them be kits!"

Jessamine sighed, smiling. "Alright, I'm sorry. Let's be on our way."

Measley and his siblings followed their parents out of the den. The bright sunlight temporarily blinded him, causing him to shield his face with his paws. As he continued to walk, he felt something cold and wet underneath his paws.

Jumping up in alarm (and knocking down Dusk in the process). "What is this, mother?"

Jessamine looked over her shoulder, watching Measley jump around in the melting snow. She smiled kindly, coming over to the center of her kits. "That, loves, is snow. It's frozen water that comes around once every year. Right now, however, we're fading out of Winter and moving into Spring."

"Spring? What's Spring?" Fawn asked, shaking the slush off her paw.

"It's the season that comes after Winter. Spring is when everything gets warmer, plants come back to life, and hunting is a lot easier." Flint answered. Measley was intrigued! Such big changes that happened year-round!

"What's a plant?" Measley asked. Flint scratched at the snow, pointing at it. The baby weasels walked over to see.

"That's a plant." They all tilted their heads and looked to eachother in confusion. Flint had pointed at a brown, dead-looking thing that looked completely frozen and wet under the snow. "In most seasons, they're green and cover the whole forest. Right now, though, they're not very lively in the snow."

Measley sniffed at the slimy vegetation, twitching his nose at the strange smell.

"Is that what we eat?" Breeze asked, hopping around it. Breeze was eager to learn how to hunt early on. Jessamine chuckled, shaking her head.

"Definitely not, love. That's what our food eats. Rabbits, for example. They love to eat the stuff." Jessamine looked around, spotting a rabbit just up the hill. "Like that one."

Everyone turned around and looked at the foraging rabbit, whose fur was as white as the snow beneath their feet. Flint grinned, crouching down.

"Watch me, kids." Flint told them, creeping towards the ivory rabbit. The kits intently watched as he crept closer and closer. The rabbit's long ears swiveled around as it heard the light crunch of a twig snap under his feet. Wasting no time to look around, the rabbit immediately bolted away. Flint gave chase, disappearing over the hill after his target. Breeze ran up the crest of the hill, closely followed by the others. To Measley's amazement, he saw that Flint had already caught the rabbit, and easily carried it back around the scruff. As he came into closer view, it was obvious that his catch was still alive, yet tight in his grip.

Jessamine smiled proudly, motioning to her mate. "That is one of many meals for a healthy weasel. And one of the biggest and fastest."

Breeze bristled slightly, glaring at the desperate mesomorph "I can outrun _that_ thing."

"Don't be so sure, Breeze. Not only are they fast, but they have boltholes. Little emergency 'dens', so to speak. They keep the around so they can escape and not waste much energy." Jessamine continued. The rabbit in Flint's jaws was weakening, its chest now rising and falling rapidly. Measley crawled over to it, sniffing in its scent.

"That's the way, Measley. Everyone, familiarize yourself with it's scent." Jessamine encouraged. Her children gathered around the panicked rabbit, imprinting its scent in their senses. "Great! Now, Daddy will show you how to kill a rabbit."

Jessamine nodded at him. Flint dragged it forward, releasing the back of it's neck. Before it could attempt to escape, he sank his sharp teeth into it's throat. Measley watched, amazed as a red liquid gushed from the wound, and the rabbit slowly slumped. It lie there in Flint's jaws, lifeless. Flint dropped the carcass, licking his lips.

The kits were very impressed, and started to gather around the kill.

"Noah, that was amazing." Fawn said, looking over the bite mark.

"Totally amazing." Faith agreed, nodding her head. Flint grinned confidently.

"Dig in." Flint urged, nudging the food over to them. Looking to their mother for confirmation first, they tore into their dinner.

Measley enjoyed the taste of the rabbit immensely. This was his first taste of meat, and it was delicious! He was eager to sample other animals that their parents would catch for them. _Maybe I can impress Father with one I catch myself!_

Happy with the thought, he leaned back to clean his paws. Shade nudged him out of the way, greedily ripping at the meat. Bowled over, Measley shook himself off and glared at his older brother. Shade's dark chocolate fur was tinted with crimson from his feasting. He had a self-satisfied smirk on his face, as though he got enjoyment out of stealing Measley's share.

"Hey! That wasn't very nice, Shade." Measley whined, walking back over to his spot. Shade bared his teeth at him, advancing on Measley. Measley gulped and took a few steps back.

"And what are you going to do about it, _Measley?_ Going to go crying to Mother?" Shade taunted, poking his lip out. Measley's cheeks burned in embarrassment as Breeze and Dusk laughed at him from behind Shade.

"N-no. I won't. It's just.. I was there first." Measley mumbled, looking away and avoiding his eyes. Shade laughed condescendingly.

"Aw, that's right. Well, I'm taking your share. And if you have a problem with that, _do something about it._" Shade said dangerously, turning around and kicking snow in his face. Measley felt hot tears burn the back of his eyes, hurt and embarrassed at the same time. He could her the laughter of his brothers, and even of his own father! Enraged, he lunged forward and bit into Shade's back.

"Argh! Get offa me!" Shade yelled, trying to shake him off. Ignoring him, Measley sank his teeth further, tasting blood. Shade yelped, rolling onto his back. Releasing him, Measley jumped back, panting. Shade shakily stood up, glaring at him with his bright blue eyes.

"Oh, it's on now you... _measley little twerp!_" Shade bellowed, charging forward. Measley gasped and ran down the hill. "Get back here!"

Jessamine called after them to stop, but Measley was too afraid that Shade would catch him. The auburn weasel was significantly faster than his bigger, lumbering brother. Relieved, Measley slowed to a stop near the base of a tree. _Maybe if I try reasoning with him..._

"Shade, stop! I'm sorry, okay? It wasn't right for me to bite you." Measley apologized, standing on his hind legs. Shade growled, ignoring the apology.

"Too right! And now I'm going to make sure you never do that again!"

Before Measley could react, Shade lunged at him, slamming him into the bark of the tree painfully. Crying out in pain, Measley tried to wiggle himself out from under Shade. But it was to little avail: Shade bit and pulled at Measley's leg, blood oozing from the wound. Throughout their tussle, the ground beneath them sank and gave way, the two brothers tumbling down the hole. Measley tried to scream, but his head hit something hard.

He lied there, unconscious with Shade underground. The sounds of their family calling out for them could faintly be heard above ground.

* * *

_Oh my god, a cliffhanger? Dun dun dunnnnnnn! D_

_Thanks for reading!_


	3. Chapter 3

**A Measley Little Tale**

**Chapter 3**

_Looks like I'm on a roll with these stories. XD_

_Huge thanks to my lovely beta, Contemperina! You really help my stories shine!_

_Poor Measley never gets a break, it seems. :C Hopefully that'll change soon!_

* * *

The first thing Measley noticed upon awakening was the sharp pain in the back of his skull. He groaned softly, lifting his head off the hard surface of whatever it was he'd hit it on. He squinted, the darkness around him confusing his boggled mind. He turned around and squinted, barely making out the shape of a rock. _Ow, my head... How did I end up down here? Where are Mother and Father?_

He called out for his parents, but the eerie sound of wind running down the hole was all that greeted him. Memories of earlier events suddenly flooded back to him: attacking Shade, Shade chasing him to a tree and biting his leg... Then the two of them tumbling down, ending up in _this_—a hole of some sort. He gingerly stood up, walking to the thin ray of light beaming down from above. Peering straight up, he saw the stars of the night sky twinkling high above. There was no hope of him climbing out of there on his own.

Sighing deeply, he turned to look around for his brother. "Shade? Shade, can you hear me?" Measley called, glancing around for him. He caught sight of a dark figure, roughly the same size as himself, rubbing his nose and mumbling to himself.

Relief flowing over him, the younger weasel padded over to greet him. "Shade, get up. Are you all right?" Measley nudged his side.

Shade blinked his eyes, unsure of where he was. He then noticed Measley and pushed him away. "_You!" _Shade snarled, hopping to his feet. "This is all your fault!"

Measley stared back, shaking his head. He didn't want to fight; he just wanted to get back home. "Now is not the time for that! We have to get out of here," Measley snapped, looking back up through the hole. With a small nod, Shade grudgingly agreed to let their previous fight go and joined his little brother under the light. Measley didn't know how they were going to get out of there, but he wouldn't give up hope. Chances were they were in a den, and a den usually had more than one exit.

He glanced around and soon spotted a dark hole to their left, which he quickly pointed out to Shade. "Let's try that one," Measley suggested, walking over to the pathway. "It might be our only way out."

Shade followed close behind, sniffing at the strange scent emanating from the tunnel entrance; Measley wrinkled his nose at the odor as well. "What makes you so sure _this _is the right way?" Shade asked, glaring.

Measley resisted the urge to roll his eyes, taking the first few steps into the long passageway. "I don't see you coming up with anything better!" he whispered, creeping down the tunnel. Without a proper comeback, Shade simply followed. The odd scent was getting stronger the further they traveled. _I wonder if this is a rabbit's burrow? But it doesn't smell like one...I can't place it, but it's different._

The ground beneath Measley's paws suddenly cut off, causing him to stumble. He fell on top of a strange pile of round objects, Shade right behind him. Measley quickly recovered, scrambling to look over the objects beneath him. They had the appearance of rocks, but they were warm and all had the same ovular shape. Some even had similar markings.

Shade complained about Measley's clumsiness, but he paid no mind.

"I wonder what these are," Measley murmured, curiously nudging at one of the "rocks". He felt a small movement from inside and quickly pulled back. "Shade," he called, "there's something in these!"

Shade yelped, immediately running to his brother's side. What had scared him, Measley soon discovered, was a long body, slowly coiling around them. Measley trembled in fear as the unknown creature reared up, its head rising to stare straight at the pair. Two large, luminescent eyes cut through the darkness, paralyzing them where they stood.

Overall, it had to be the oddest animal Measley had ever seen! _What in the world is it? It's missing its legs!_ Gulping, he attempted to greet the advancing figure. "H-hello... I'm Measley."

"I could care less_ss_ what your name is_ssss_. All I know is_sss_ that you're s_ss_itting on my eggs_sss_!" it hissed, opening its mouth to reveal long, ivory fangs.

Measley gasped and took a few steps back. Shade was hiding behind him, equally horrified. "I'm sorry, I really am! We didn't know..." Measley whimpered, immediately hopping off her brood. The large, yellow eyes watched them the whole time. "I… Can you help us?" he asked. "We accidentally fell into your home."

The serpent slithered around her eggs, checking for any signs of damage as Measley looked on, horrified. Once she was satisfied, she turned to them again. "Is_ss_ that s_ssss_o?"

Measley nodded meekly. "Yes, ma'am."

The mother adder stared back at them for countless seconds. Measley feared she was going to lunge at them and bite them with her terrible fangs. Shade seemed to share the same thoughts as he whimpered behind him, but finally, the snake responded.

"Follow me," she ordered, slithering beside them and into yet another tunnel.

Measley didn't think twice about following her, but Shade seemed much more hesitant."Come on!" Measley urged. "She's trying to help us." Reassured for the moment, Shade ran to catch up, and the trio traveled up the tunnel. It was so dark, Measley could barely see the adder in front of him. Rather, he listened out for her to keep track. After a few minutes, the snake slithered out into the night air, shortly followed by the young weasels.

Now that he could clearly see, he could make out their savior. She was a long adder, with dark blue scales that shone in the moonlight. Her eyes still glowed their eerie yellow, and Measley thought, maybe, that was how she saw so well in the dark.

"Thank you," he said with a smile. Shade was silent, preoccupied surveying his surroundings.

The adder nodded. "You're welcome, though you s_ssss_hould really be more careful, little ones. Not all adders_sss_ are as nic_ccce_ as I wass_s_. And that's_ss_ only becaus_ssse_ I had a big dinner!" The female snake smirked before diving back into her home.

Measley shouted out a quick goodbye before turning to his brother."That was really nice of her," he pointed out happily.

"Forget that!" Shade snapped, appraising the unfamiliar area around them. "Now we need to get back home!"

Measley looked around as well. Everything was unfamiliar: the snow covered a lot more ground, the trees were fewer, and there was a strange building not too far off. "I wonder what _that_ is," he said, gesturing to it. "Maybe we should go over and see." Measley didn't bother to look back at Shade, instead running towards (what Measley would later discover to be) a cabin.

Shade called for him to wait up as he took off to follow behind. They stopped when they came up to a fence, peering through. In the center of the fence stood a sturdy little cottage, lights shining from the windows. Chained to the side of it was a large dog, who was eating hungrily from his bowl. Measley tilted his head at the canine, examining it. He was even bigger than the rabbit they'd encountered before.

Shade suddenly nudged him, pointing in the distance."I think I see the hill!" he exclaimed. Measley turned hopefully, looking over as well. The landscape Shade referred to _did_ look similar to the one they had run down earlier.

Relieved, he nodded, saying, "Let's go home!" Measley smiled, scampering towards the hill. Shade ran ahead, keen on rejoining their family. To their relief, it _did_ turn out to be their den, and immediately darting inside, they found their family curled up next to one another.

Measley, overjoyed to be reunited with them, ran and joined them a second after his brother."Mother! Father! We're back!"

Jessamine's head snapped up. To her amazement, there stood her two boys, unharmed! She ran over to them, hugging them tight. "Measley, Shade! Thank heavens you're alright! Flint, Flint wake up!" she called.

Flint's eyes flew open to take in the sight of his mate hugging their two missing boys. He sighed in relief, getting up to join them. The other kits, awakened by the sound of their mother's voice, happily ran over to greet their brothers as well.

"Thank the lord! How in the world did you make it back here by yourselves?" Flint asked. He was sure that they'd been lost to the family forever. Young weasels rarely made it past their first year, much less kits! He had accepted the sad possibility that they had died of the cold, starvation, or from a predator, so to see them there in front of him was almost unreal.

"Not now, Flint!" Jessamine cried, carrying her two shivering sons over to the nest. "I'm sure the poor things must be exhausted." She lay them down in the middle of their siblings, watching fondly as they cuddled together. She curled up around them protectively, not wanting a repeat of the day's events to happen again.

* * *

The following morning, as their parents slept, Measley could hear some minor chatter off to his right. He lifted a heavy eyelid, still exhausted from his journey a few hours prior, and barely made out the colors of Breeze, Dusk, and Shade. He tuned his ears into the conversation.

"As I was saying, there was this huge animal! Measley was being a pansy, as usual," he heard Shade tell them all. Cringing in annoyance, Measley could hear the guffaws of his other two brothers as they listened to the lie.

"What a baby! What did you do then?" Breeze snickered, leaning in.

"Did it have huge teeth?" Dusk asked, holding his paws a distance from each other for comparison. Shade shook his head and held his paws even wider apart.

"Bigger!"

"_Bigger?_" Dusk and Breeze gasped. Shade nodded, wearing a proud smile.

"Much bigger! We had landed on its eggs, and it was going to gobble us up for its _dinner_! Measley cried for mother, and I was left to fight off the beast!" he said, miming a fight. "_Bam! Whap!_ I punched the snake until it went down! Then, I grabbed Measley and ran out of one of the exits!"

"Amazing!" Breeze praised.

"I've never heard anything like it!" Dusk said, completely impressed. Measley had half a mind to get up and tell them what had really happened. But he was so tired… _He's such a liar! _he thought. _If it wasn't for me, we would have never gotten out of there! And she didn't attack us at all. She __**helped**_ _us!_

"Aww," Breeze sighed. "I wish we'd been there. It would have been great to see you put that stupid slithery _down_!"

Shade puffed out his chest proudly, an action that heavily resembled one of their father's. "Heck, it's nothing difficult for a weasel."

Measley had heard enough. He stood up, shaking off the drowsiness that still lingered. The three weasels looked over at him as he rose. "Good morning," Measley greeted curtly, stretching out.

Breeze smirked at him. "Why are you up so early? I'd think you'd want to stay in forever after your experience," Breeze teased.

Measley stared at Shade, who quickly looked away. "How would you know what happened? You weren't even there," Measley replied coolly, walking over to the entrance of their home.

Breeze glared at him as he went. "Measley, don't go anywhere."

Measley looked over to Jessamine, who had just woken up. Her blue eyes peered right back, and he smiled sheepishly.

"I won't, Mother. I was just looking!"

She stretched out before walking over to sit at his side. "And what are you looking at?" she asked.

"Those noisy things up in that tree," he told her, watching the chattering animals flit about each other. "What are those?"

"Those are birds. They come in many shapes and sizes," his mother explained. "Some can even make an easy meal out of us."

Measley gasped. "_Really_? What kinds of birds can do that?"

Jessamine giggled, stroking his head affectionately. "Owls and kestrels. They have sharp beaks and claws. They're very quick and attack from the sky. But some, like those bluebirds over there, are small and helpless enough for _us_ to eat."

Measley continued to observe the small birds, who seemed to be composing their own symphony. He then remembered a question he'd meant to ask her yesterday. "Mother? Me and Shade met a very funny animal while we were away. It had no arms, long fangs, and big yellow eyes. What are those called?"

Jessamine's eyes widened in astonishment. _My God! Did they really come across a snake and live? How is that even possible?_ she wondered.

"Those are called snakes," she clarified. "The ones in the park are commonly known as adders. Where did you see one?"

Measley smiled at her. "We met a mommy adder in her home. She led us outside. She was very nice. She also had a lot of... eggs, was it?" Measley tried to recall, remembering the strange oval items in her nest.

Jessamine's jaw dropped. _They actually fell into the _home _of an adder? On her eggs, no less! I simply can't understand it._

Despite her bewilderment, Jessamine was thankful that they had returned to her unscathed. She was going to have to keep a closer eye on every one of them to prevent another accident. She felt blessed that nothing serious had happened, but she knew she couldn't continue to risk it.

"That was very nice of her to do so. Today, we're going to go out again," Jessamine said with a grin, walking back to wake up Flint. He grumbled, reluctantly getting up from his spot. By now, all of the kits were wide awake, eager to go out and explore. After making certain everyone understood to stick together no matter what, they made their way outside again.

Each day in White Deer Park was getting warmer. Most of the snow had melted, and the presence of previously hibernating animals was more common. Measley saw a family of rabbits as they walked around their territory: three little ones stared back at him before darting away.

Breeze looked at them longingly, wanting to chase one down. "Father, where are we headed today?" he inquired. "I want to catch one of those rabbits." Breeze watching one of them chase its sibling.

Flint chuckled, blocking his path before he could attempt to run after them. "We're going to the pond."

Measley decided not to ask what a pond was; he didn't want to annoy his father with so many questions. Flint always seemed so on-edge around him as it was, and Measley wasn't sure why. He wanted to impress him, and he felt today was the perfect chance to do so.

They arrived at a rather large pond not too far from their home a few minutes later. The water was clear and cold, much to Measley's enjoyment. He lapped at it thirstily alongside his sisters. They had only ever know water to come from the snow, which had covered everything since they were born. This was a lot more enjoyable for the little weasels.

Fawn shrieked, jumping back and clutching Measley's arm. "Eww! What's that horrible slimy thing?" she screeched, pointing.

Measley looked at what had spooked her. A fat, green toad landed on a rock near them, its throat inflating into a wide bubble. Measley gulped, stepping in front of Fawn protectively.

"You stay away from Fawn, you...you... whatever you are! _Shoo_!" Measley yelled, trying to scare it off. The toad simply jumped towards him, completely unfazed. Measley yelled, he and Fawn fleeing from the toad.

Jessamine giggled as her babies ran away from the toad, finding it adorable. Flint, however, found it to be quite embarrassing. "Oh, lord. This is humiliating, Jess! What if another weasel family sees us?" Flint mumbled, his paws over his head.

Jessamine rolled her eyes at her mate. "Oh, lighten up! They're kids! We were all like that once, and if anybody has a problem with it, they'll have to answer to me!" Jessamine snapped.

Flint sighed, turning his attention to his other sons. His mood brightened as he saw Breeze chase after the toad, making it retreat back into its watery home. _Now, that's how a __**real**_ _weasel goes about things!_

Purity, losing interest with the pesky frogs around the pond, suggested they all play a game. "Let's play hide and seek!"

Faith looked up at Flint. "Can we? We won't go off too far."

Flint looked over at Jessamine before nodding. "All right, go ahead."

Purity happily hopped off the rock she was sitting on. "I'll start first." Turning around and closing her eyes tightly, she began to count. "One, two..."

The baby weasels immediately scattered in different directions, but they still remained well within view of their parents. Measley looked around for a suitable hiding place. He considered hiding in a small, abandoned den but soon thought better of it. _Don't want to go through that again! No, no..._

He settled on hiding inside a bush that was nicely hidden behind a large tree. From his place, he watched as Purity finished counting and began looking around for her siblings. "Ready or not, here I come!"

Measley smiled excitedly. _She won't find me here._

A light giggling behind him made him whirl around, after which he came nose-to-nose with another weasel! She wasn't from his family, however. She had light, almost blonde fur and stunning hazel eyes. She batted her eyes at him, causing him to shyly back away.

"Hello." She smiled.

Measley gulped, scratching the back of his head. "H-hi," he replied softly, glancing back through the leaves of the bush. Thankfully, Purity was a safe distance away, likely on someone else's trail.

The little girl weasel tilted her head. "Are you playing a game?" she asked, eyes bright.

Measley nodded. "Yes. We're playing hide-and-seek! I'm hiding."

"What's your name?" she asked.

Measley cringed inwardly. She was talking a bit loud, and he was afraid she might give away their position. However, he didn't want to be rude. "I'm Measley."

"Measley? That's an odd name for your parents to give you. I mean, what must they think of you? Not very good parents at all!" she said disapprovingly.

Measley cut his jade eyes at her. _Wow, she's awful chatty, isn't she? _"What's yours?" he shot back. Measley wasn't comfortable with her judging his parents. Especially his mother, who had always been kind and loving towards him.

"I'm Margaret. It means 'pearl', because I'm my parent's most precious jewel," she boasted as if she'd said those words many times before.

Measley wasn't paying attention anymore. Instead, he was watching Purity discover Breeze hiding in the tall grass.

Margaret pouted a bit. "Are you even listening to me?" she snapped, stomping over to him.

Measley sighed and turned back to her again. "Yes, Margaret. I'm listening. It's just... we're in a middle of a game." Measley tried to gently imply that he wanted her to quiet down.

Margaret, unfortunately, did not get the message. "A game is more important than talking to me, then?" She put her hands on her hips, glaring at him.

Measley was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the situation. _Oh boy... I barely talk to her and she's already angry with me. _"I-I didn't say that," he quickly corrected her. "I just don't want to be found ou—"

"_Gotcha_!" Purity reached through the leaves of the bush, poking him in the back. He groaned, turning to see her wide grin. "Found you, Measley!" Purity repeated. She didn't seem to notice Margaret, however. "You have to join the rest of them out here while I find the others."

Measley sighed. "All right."

He walked out of the bushes, Margaret hot on his heels. She was still chatting non-stop, much to his annoyance. "Wow, Measley, you're not very good at that game. Maybe you should try being quieter."

Measley balled up his fists, willing himself to hold his tongue. He'd tried to be nice, he really had. But the girl was irritating him to no end! Sure, she was very pretty. One of the prettiest weasels he had ever seen. But only if she kept her mouth shut.

Faith, who was pouting, glanced over at the ever-chatty Margaret. "Who's your friend?"

"Oh? Uh, this is Margaret," Measley introduced, hoping she'd latch herself onto one of his brothers.

No such luck. She simply held his hand possessively. "It means 'pearl'. Isn't it a pretty name?" She looked around at Faith, Fawn, Breeze, and Dusk. They all reluctantly agreed, sensing she'd throw some sort of temper tantrum if they disagreed. (They were probably correct.)

Purity soon returned to the small group, Shade in tow. "I can't find Silver anywhere," she whined, frustrated that she couldn't locate them all.

Measley smiled and called out. "Silver! Silver, you've won! You can come out now!"

To everyone's surprise, Silver climbed down from a nearby tree. She descended it carefully before walking over to them with a smug smile on her face.

"Hey, that's not fair!" Purity complained, folding her arms. Silver grinned and shrugged at her.

"Nobody said trees were off limits!" Silver high-fived Measley, who had seen her climb it earlier.

Silver examined Margaret silently before addressing her. "And who are you?" Silver asked curtly, her icy blue eyes boring straight into the other's.

Margaret bristled slightly. "For the _last_ time, my name is Margaret!" she screamed angrily, trembling slightly.

Silver narrowed her eyes at her before taking both Measley's and Purity's hands and leading them away. "Come on, let's go," Silver mumbled, tired of being around the bothersome girl.

Measley glanced back at Margaret, who was glaring at them. "Well, um... she's my friend," Measley mentioned, wincing slightly. _I know she's a bit of a pest, but this is the first weasel I've met outside my family. I shouldn't be so picky!_ he told himself.

Faith clicked her tongue. "I guess we can let her play—if she promises to keep that trap of hers shut."

Measley sighed and called out to Margaret. "Come on, Margaret! You can play with us, if you'd like."

Margaret smiled, happy she had gotten her way after all. She skipped towards the group merrily. "Oh, goodie! What are we playing now?" she asked, sitting between Measley and Fawn.

Fawn raised her hand. "Let's play tag! Margaret can be it first," Fawn suggested, smirking at the newcomer. Margaret gasped, vehemently against the idea.

"That's not fair! I'm new," she argued..

Dusk smirked and shrugged his shoulders "And that's exactly why you're it."

With that, the weasel siblings scattered away from Margaret, taunting her. Huffing, she began to chase after Dusk. Dusk easily dodged her attempts, laughing at each failure. She growled in frustration, deciding to chase after Fawn instead. Fawn was quicker than she let on, darting off-course and making it difficult to follow her without faltering.

Margaret skidded to a halt, stomping her foot. "This is insane! You're all cheating!" she whined, close to tears.

Purity laughed at her, alongside Faith. "Big baby!" Faith mocked, blowing a raspberry at her. Margaret sniffled, staring at her feet.

Feeling bad, Measley walked towards her. He hated to see anyone sad—even her. "Aw, Margaret, don't cry. It's just a—"

Margaret suddenly shoved him down to the ground, Measley landing painfully on his back. He blinked in confusion, staring at the sky. Margaret looked down at him, wearing a smug smile. "You're it."

Measley felt a strange emotion well up in his chest. _Is it anger?_ No... it was more like shock. Disbelief. He couldn't believe that she had taken advantage of his feelings like that! Measley rose up a little, resting on his elbows. Margaret was laughing at him. Purity, Fawn, Faith, and Silver all scowled at her, walking over to aid their betrayed brother. Shade, Dusk and Breeze all looked on in amazement.

"Go away, you pest!" Silver snarled, baring her teeth at Margaret. Margaret gasped and ran off, likely back to her parents.

Faith stroked Measley's head, worry clouding her face. "Oh, Measley, are you all right?" she asked. "What a horrible thing for her to do," she said bitterly.

Measley smiled at his sisters, thanking them as they helped him back up. Dusting himself off, he tried to lighten the mood. "Oh, yeah! I'm all right, no need to worry. I guess I shouldn't be so gullible." He laughed, rubbing the back of his head as Purity smiled at him.

It seemed that even if someone had obviously treated her brother wrong, he always tried to look on the bright side. Though Purity couldn't help but worry that this would become a problem later on…

Breeze walked over. "Wow, that girl... She was really something ,wasn't she?"

Measley raised an eyebrow at Breeze. The way he remarked about Margaret was somewhat... dreamlike?

Shade nodded his agreement. "She knows how to play the game!"

"Not at all like Measley, who fell for that _obvious_ ploy!" Dusk said, walking over. "You girls should stop coddling him. Mother already does that," he sneered, shaking his head at them.

Silver rolled her eyes at them all. "You're so dumb. I'd rather be like Mother anyway. Father never wants to play or teach us. Only _you three,_" Silver snapped. She wasn't blind: her father made no secret of preferring the company of the three boys rather than all of them. She wasn't hurt by it anymore—just angered by it.

Breeze smiled proudly, pointing at his chest. "Don't get jealous, now. We're just the pick of the litter."

Measley glared at him. "Are not!"

"Are too!" Breeze retorted, folding his arms.

Measley folded his arms as well. "Are n—"

"Hey! Look at that over there!" Fawn pointed toward a large, white animal drinking from the pond. The weasels ran over to him but made sure to keep their distance.

Measley, being the most outspoken of them, waved. "Good morning!" he greeted cheerfully. Ever since his meeting with the adder, he was sure there were many friendly animals in the park he could get to know. Now that they were closer, they could see the animal had branches sprouting out of its head!

The large animal lifted his head, calmly looking over the band of weasels. He smiled kindly, speaking in a strong voice. "Hello, weasels. I suppose you all must be the little ones Flint and Jessamine told me about," he mused, straightening up. He was even taller with his head held high! Measley marveled at his majestic figure, wondering if there were others like him.

Shade stepped forward, pointing at his head. "You look silly! Why are trees popping out of your head?" he asked rudely. Measley, embarrassed, nudged him. "Ow! What?"

The creature chuckled. "Those are my antlers. I am a white deer. A stag. Everybody knows me as the Great White Stag," he explained.

The weasels all voiced their amazement, coming closer to the friendly stag.

Fawn jumped up and down. "Just like the park! White Deer Park! They must have named it after you!" she squeaked, happy because of her revelation.

The Stag smiled down at her, flattered. "Oh, not just me, young one. There are many white deer in the park, which I'm sure is how it got its name," he corrected. "But we are all equally important in the Park." Looking off into the distance, he nodded down at them. "I'm afraid I must be going now. You all stay out of trouble."

They all waved as the stag galloped off to rejoin his herd, Measley left in awe. _He has to be the biggest animal in the park!_

Jessamine called out to them. They immediately heeded her call, making their way towards her voice. To their surprise, Flint was dragging a dead bird by its neck.

Dusk sniffed at it. "Is this one of those birds, Mother?" he asked, staring at its open beak.

Jessamine smiled, nodding. "That's right! This one is called a chicken. They're easy meals, really. They can't fly, they can't run fast... Just fat birds," Jessamine explained, poking the fowl's fat belly. "Dig in and see how it tastes!"

Measley went to try the new food. As soon as he bit into it, he tasted fluffy feathers. He coughed, spewing feathers everywhere. "It tickles!"

Flint laughed, plucking the bothersome feathers off the chicken. "That's why we pull them off before eating."

The kits mimicked him, pulling out patches of the chicken's feathers. Jessamine waited until the kits were too busy to overhear before turning to Flint.

"Flint, how in the world did you manage a chicken?" she hissed. Chickens were only found on farms, and where there were farms, there were humans. Jessamine knew many humans that weren't dangerous, but she also knew that they were as protective of their meals as the weasels were. Chickens were a precious commodity, and anyone who tried to steal them faced the danger of getting shot.

Flint smiled, licking his lips. "Not to worry, love. I found this one left behind after a raid by one of those foxes. They were making off with some of the farmer's chickens, and one of them was hit. Before the farmer could take the chicken back, I ran off with it."

Jessamine gasped. "Flint, that was too risky! You could have been hurt."

Flint rolled his eyes, dismissing the thought. "Have you so little faith in me? Your own mate?"

Jessamine looked down sadly. "That's not what I meant. I just want you to be more careful," she elaborated. "I need you—the kids need you. Would it kill you to have a little more common sense?"

Flint ignored the comment, ripping off a leg. "I brought us dinner, didn't I?"

Jessamine decided to just drop it, ripping off the other leg. "Yes, you did."

Measley happily played tug-o-war with Fawn, the two pulling the wing of the chicken apart. They both laughed as the wing snapped in two, sending them rolling on their backs. Their siblings laughed and joined in, playing with their food. Jessamine's mood cheered greatly at the sight as she ate her fill.

Flint, however, glared at the scene. Even his pride and joys were playing the stupid game! "Stop that this instant!" he growled. The children ceased playing immediately, fearfully looking up at him. "Eat," he ordered.

They all quietly returned to the meal.

Jessamine cut her eyes at him. "Wow, you're a regular bag of sunshine today, aren't you?" she snapped. She was getting tired of his foul mood. Sure, she had known him to get a bit moody once in a while, but never like this! Where was the laid-back weasel she had grown to love? The one that enjoyed having fun with loved ones?

"Weasels shouldn't behave like that," Flint answered in his defense, closing his eyes. Jessamine sighed.

After the family finished its dinner, they walked back home. Measley didn't really want to turn in for the night yet, with the sun just now setting in the distance. He caught up with Flint, taking his hand. Flint glanced down at the boy, flinching a bit.

"Father, can we sit and watch the sunset before we go to bed?" he asked, looking up at him with his innocent, green eyes. Flint was about to say "no", but Jessamine's warning stare prevented him from doing so.

"That's fine with me," Flint replied.

The kits rejoiced, sitting right at the entrance to their den. They all leaned on one another, watching the vibrant colors of the sky. Fawn cuddled next to Measley, her head resting in his lap. Measley smiled contently, stroking his little sister's back lovingly. Jessamine lay down beside her children, proud of her little family. She didn't even mind when Flint shyly snuggled up to her. As the sun slowly set over the horizon, the family of weasels sat in companionable silence, happy simply to be together.

* * *

_Mrf... what is that sound? Can't get any sleep!_ Measley groaned, pulling some bedding over his head to drown out the sound. He was surprised no one else could hear the awful singing! Surely it was loud enough for the rest of the family to hear? _Or maybe I'm just a really light sleeper._

Fed up, he got out of bed and stomped to the entrance of his den, intent on telling whomever it was to shut up so he could get some more sleep. The sky was still dark, for heaven's sake!

He poked his head out, looking for the singer. To his surprise, it was Margaret, singing a few feet away.

"_My name is Margaret! Please remember it! Pretty as a pearl, most beautiful in the WORLD!" _she screeched, prancing around in time with her lyrics.

Measley covered his ears, wincing. _Oh, why doesn't she just go away! She's even worse than those silly birds!_ "Margaret!" Measley hissed, not wanting to wake up the rest of the family. "What are you doing here?"

Margaret turned to look at him, smiling widely. "Hello Measley! Do you like my song?" she asked, ignoring his question.

Measley sighed, rubbing his head. He couldn't bring himself to hurt her feelings. "Er... It was quite... unique, yes."

"I knew you'd like it! It's the best you've ever heard!" Margaret squealed happily. "I must be going now! My Mum and Dad must be wondering where I am by now!"

Measley watched her dance down the hill, back to wherever her home was. Sighing deeply, he returned to bed. _Oh dear. If this is what having friends is like, I'd rather have enemies._

* * *

_Woah, another chapter? So soon? _

_This was a bit easier to write, thank God! Hopefully the next chapter will be just as easy to write._

_Thank you for reading! Much love!_


	4. Chapter 4

**A Measley Little Tale**

**Chapter 4**

_Took me forever to figure out what should happen next! XD_

_Sorry for the wait!_

_Thanks so much to Remnant and Contemperina! You guys are the best! /love_

_

* * *

_

Flint felt it was a great time to start teaching the kits how to climb trees. Jessamine, of course, was reluctant, but she soon agreed that it was an invaluable skill. Sometimes a weasel would be cornered and would have little hope of defending itself; the only way to escape that kind of situation was by bolting up a tree.

The large family of weasels walked near the pond they had visited just a few days ago. Flint instructed the eight kits to sit around him, while Jessamine watched from her seat on top of a large stone.

Clearing his throat, Flint began. "All right, weasels. Today, you learn a very important lesson."

"Like chasing rabbits?" Breeze offered eagerly, unable to keep still.

"Or beating up one of those silly, slithery snakes like Shade did?" Dusk asked, punching the air with his tiny paws.

Jessamine raised an eyebrow. "What? Shade didn't beat up any snake." She glared down at her son, who was looking away. "Shade…"

Shade rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "I—I'm sorry. I might have stretched the truth a bit…" He giggled uneasily.

Jessamine wagged her finger. "I do not tolerate lying, Shade. Not at all! And don't joke about adders. They are extremely dangerous!" she added. "Do you understand?"

Shade lowered his head, much to Measley's satisfaction. "Yes, Mother."

Flint rolled his eyes. "As I was _saying_," he pressed on, "today you learn an invaluable lesson: climbing trees."

"Oh! Silver climbed a tree the other day, Father!" Measley quipped, pointing to his sister. She wore a proud smile. "She was really good at it!"

Flint regarded his daughter with bored eyes, clearly not impressed. Or maybe he was disappointed his favorites had not caught on first. "Yes, yes, that's good and well. But you need _real _training," he insisted.

Silver glared at her father, folding her arms. Measley gulped and looked down at his feet.

"Now, follow me to this tree," Flint ordered. His kits obediently trailed behind him, stopping at a large oak tree. There were a few birds high above, looking down at the family with inquisitive eyes. Flint firmly dug his claws into the side of the tree, making sure all eyes were on him. "First, make sure you have a firm grip on the tree."

The young weasels nodded their understanding.

"Then," Flint continued, slowly pulling himself up, "you quickly climb." He swiftly scaled the tall tree, making it onto one of the lower branches (which was still quite a distance up). One of the nosy birds chirped and immediately flew up to a safer spot. Flint paid no attention to it as he looked down at his students, who were equally amazed at his climbing prowess.

"Wow, Father, that was amazing!" Dusk cheered, jumping up and down.

"We want to try, we want to try!" Fawn told him excitedly, bouncing up and down beside Faith. Faith giggled at her little sister's eagerness.

Flint smirked and easily descended the tree, landing gracefully beside them. "Give it a try, one at a time."

Fawn immediately came forward, clawing her way up. At first, she perfectly mimicked her father. However, after she'd climbed sufficiently high, she picked up too much speed and lost her footing, falling a great distance. Flint gasped, reaching out to catch his daughter.

She landed in his arms with a thud, giggling. "Oops. Sorry, Daddy!"

Flint sighed in annoyance, setting her down. "You moved too fast. If you had been chased by one of those mangy foxes, you would have been torn to shreds," he said flatly.

Fawn gasped in terror, clasping her paws over her mouth. "I—I didn't mean to..." She struggled to think of appropriate words.

"Make sure you concentrate harder next time," Flint said coldly, pointing towards the other kits. Fawn tearfully trudged back, trying her best to mask her hurt feelings.

Measley placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her. "It's all right, Fawn. I'm sure you'll get it next time."

Too choked up to speak, Fawn only nodded her thanks. Silver, who'd watched the whole scene, as had all the others, glared furiously at her father.

Flint noticed the angry gaze and called her forward."Do you have a problem, Silver?" he asked severely, folding his arms in a similar manner to Silver.

Silver stared back at him evenly, not blinking or flinching. "You're being awfully mean, Father."

Flint growled at her, but Jessamine was quick to agree. "She's right, you know. I've not known you to be so cruel and short with others," she said, watching him. "You really should learn to have more patience. It's essential if you want to be a good father."

Flint flinched at her words, finding some truth in them. "All right," he muttered. "Silver, you can give it a try."

Silver smiled triumphantly, rubbing her paws together. She steadied her grip on the rough bark, quickly pulling herself up. Unlike Fawn, she took care to secure herself to protrusions before progressing any further. In no time at all, she'd made it to the same branch their father had sat on minutes earlier. Measley, Fawn, Faith, and Purity cheered loudly for her as she gave them a thumbs-up. Dusk, Shade, Breeze, and Flint, on the other hand, looked on in dismay.

Jessamine couldn't be prouder. "Excellent, Silver! You'll be a pro in no time!" she praised, clapping for her adept daughter.

Silver beamed down at her, carefully descending the broad tree. "Thanks Mother, guys! It's really fun!"

"This is _serious _business," Flint said, tapping his foot. "Not _fun_."

Silver silently rejoined the rest of her siblings, settling down beside Purity.

Breeze ran up to his father, eager to prove he could be much faster than his sister. "Me, me! I want to go!" he insisted, scurrying over to the tree.

Flint smiled brightly at him. "Give it your best shot!"

Jessamine called out to him in concern. "Be careful! Don't go too fast!"

"I won't!" Breeze reassured her, brushing her off and beginning his climb. Measley watched intently. Breeze was the fastest of them on the ground, and he wondered if he would also be the swiftest climber. Breeze's climbing time did not surpass Silver's, however, and this greatly frustrated him.

This was only made worse by Silver's teasing. "I guess you're only the swiftest on _land,_" she called out. "_I'm _the fastest in the trees!"

Breeze growled, glaring down at her. There was no way he was going to be shown up by some _girl._"I can make it higher, though!" he shouted with indignation, turning around and climbing even higher.

Jessamine gasped, jumping off the stone and making her way towards them. "Flint, he'll hurt himself! Get him down _now!_"

Flint, who was watching Breeze with a fascinated smile, quickly snapped out of it. "Breeze! Breeze, get down from there this instant!"

"I can do better than her, Dad!" Breeze yelled back, not stopping until he reached his goal to climb the entire height of the old oak tree. Jessamine gasped, preparing to climb after him. Measley, however, dashed in front of her and hurriedly climbed up before she could, for reasons he couldn't even name.

"Measley, get down from there!" Jessamine called.

But Measley clumsily followed Breeze through the leaves, trying his best to keep a firm grip on the brittle bark. Breeze finally stopped at one of the highest branches, hopping onto it and walking along it precariously. Measley gulped as he sat on the branch, glancing down. _O-Oh, we're up really high! If we fall... _

Swallowing his fear (for the moment), he shakily crept towards Breeze.

Breeze, unlike Measley, didn't seem to fear the great heights, glancing down with little care. "Dad, look at me! I made it to the tippy-top!" Breeze cried triumphantly, puffing out his little chest. Measley could faintly make out a cheer from their father far below them.

Stuttering, Measley attempted to reason with his brother. "B-Breeze! Mother says you have to come d-down n-n-now! W-we might get hurt!"

Breeze rolled his blue eyes at his brother, disgusted with Measley's cowardly position. "Oh, grow up, Measley! _Real _weasels aren't afraid of a little height."

His feelings hurt a bit, Measley continued to edge towards him. "I-it won't d-d-do much i-if you f-f-fall!"

Jessamine suddenly appeared behind them, holding out her hands. "Measley, Breeze, get back here _right now!_You're going to get yourselves killed!"

Measley held out his hand to Breeze, who reluctantly took hold of it. The two slowly made their way back towards their mother, who carefully held them as she descended down the tree and safely back on the ground. Measley, pressed against her, could feel the light trembles racking her body. She shakily let them down, sighing in relief.

Flint and the other kits immediately came to their side. "Jessamine, are you all right?"

Jessamine placed a hand over her heart, feeling it race. "Yes, I'm fine." She then placed her hands on her round hips, glaring down at Measley and Breeze. "As for you two, you two better not ever disobey us again! You could have been hurt, or worse!"

Measley put his hands behind his back, feeling extremely guilty for making his mother worry. "Sorry, Mother."

Breeze kicked at a small pebble. "Yeah, we're sorry," he agreed.

Jessamine exhaled deeply, but then smiled. "It's all right. I'm not angry, darlings," she told them. "I just don't want anything to happen to you."

Flint sniffed the air, his tail stiffening. Jessamine looked over to her husband, worry clouding her face. "What's wrong, Flint?" she asked, unable to pick up the scent.

Flint snapped his head around. "Foxes."

Jessamine gasped, gathering all four of the boys as Flint gathered all the girls. The two quickly ran towards their earth, not bothering to look back.

Faith looked up at Flint, bouncing slightly in his arms as he ran. "Dad, what's going on? What's a fox?"

"Not now, Faith," Flint panted, trying his best to keep up with Jessamine. The family soon reached its den, scurrying inside the familiar safety. Once inside, the parents finally set them down on the nest. Jessamine and Flint then crept over to the entrance of their den, peering out of it silently.

The kits all looked at each other questioningly, some shrugging.

Measley timidly walked in-between his parents, but not ahead of them. "Mother, Father? What's wrong?" he asked softly.

Jessamine's slightly notched ear twitched, letting him know that she acknowledged him. "Just a minute, Measley. Stay back."

Measley stood where he was, hoping he would be allowed to sit this close. "Right here?"

"Yes, that's fine." Jessamine turned, nodding, before returning her attention to what was outside. Flint didn't move a muscle the whole time, completely focused on whatever was happening outside their earth.

Measley signaled silently for the others to join them. The other kits quietly scurried over, some laying down on top of their parents' heads. From what Measley could see, he saw a large group of strange, blue animals. They were a similar color to those peculiar bluebirds he'd seen so often. _Other than that, though, they look nothing like them!_

He saw the biggest one sniff around, barking at the others. A slim, light blue female barked as well, leading the pack to another location away from their den. The weasel family silently watched as the pack of foxes left, likely in search of a bigger kill elsewhere. Sighing in relief, the two adult weasels turned towards the nest.

Measley twitched his nose, following close behind. "What funny bluebirds!"

Flint twitched in irritation. "Those aren't bluebirds, Measley. Those are blue foxes."

"Foxes?" Measley repeated, snuggling down beside Silver.

Silver was also curious about the creatures. "What are they like?" she asked.

Jessamine gently licked along Faith's back before answering. "Foxes are big animals," she began. "Much bigger than us. They have sharp teeth, run fast, eat meat—"

"Why, they sound like big weasels!" Dusk laughed.

Jessamine smiled, shaking her head. "No, my dear. They're very different. We are no match for a fox. They are quick and clever, and very powerful. It's best to avoid them at all times."

Measley nodded his understanding.

Shade rolled his eyes. "I don't think they're so tough! After all, I—"

Jessamine shot him a warning look, cutting off his sentence.

"I, uh... You're right, Mother. They're _far _too dangerous," Shade amended, nodding his head repeatedly.

"Good boy." Jessamine grinned, rubbing his head playfully.

Flint's deep scowl caught Measley's attention. He timidly asked what the matter was.

"With those mangy foxes out there, we won't have a chance to catch dinner!" Flint growled, his anger terrifying Measley.

Jessamine rolled her eyes, losing more and more patience with her mate's short temper. "Stop your belly-aching," Jessamine said, standing up and shaking off the small bits of bedding in her fur. "I'll catch us something."

Flint lifted his head. "I'll go with you."

"Flint, we can't leave the little ones alone," Jessamine said, nodding her head to their children. "I doubt they're ready to be left alone just yet."

Dusk puffed out his chest, beating it. "I'll watch over them!"

"So will I!" Breeze nodded.

"And me." Shade said.

"Me too!" Measley said cheerfully. Three glares from his brothers made him shrink back.

Jessamine glanced back at Flint, still doubting the situation.

Flint smiled warmly at her. "They'll be fine, Jess. Besides, this will give us some time alone," Flint said suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows.

Despite her earlier anger towards him, she smiled, easily convinced. "Well, all right. Kids, stay in the den. Do _not_ go anywhere. Okay?"

All eight kits nodded their heads.

Satisfied, the pair walked out of the earth in search of prey. Now alone, many of the kits wondered what to do next. Their playtime was cut short due to the sudden appearance of the blue foxes outside their den, yet they still had plenty of energy to spend. Trapped inside, they grew impatient quickly.

"I'm bored," Breeze whined, kicking at some stray bedding. "What are we supposed to do now? I want to go hunting!"

"Hey! I'm the boss, and I say, you lot be quiet!" Shade demanded, stomping his foot.

Silver and Purity blew a raspberry at him. "You aren't the boss of us!"

"Says who?"

"Says us, you big bully!"

"Mom and Dad said I was in charge, so you have to do as I say!"

"No, they didn't!" Purity argued, crossing her arms. "They expect all of us to stay here and behave!"

"But I'm one of the oldest, so I say you do as I say!" Shade said in a final tone.

Purity rolled her eyes, grabbing a handful of bedding and throwing it at his head. It hit him square in the face, making him fall back from the impact. The rest of the little weasels laughed at his expense.

Shade noticed Measley laughing the hardest, and snapped at him. "What are you laughing at, twerp?"

Measley quickly shut up, gulping. The other boys found the insult intriguing.

"Twerp?" Breeze said, looking back to Measley.

"Yeah, a _measley _little _twerp!_" Shade laughed, pointing at him.

Breeze and Dusk joined in, chanting, "Twerp! Twerp! Twerp!"

Fawn gasped, jumping up. "That's not nice! Stop picking on him!"

Purity nodded in agreement from where she stood off to the side. "Yeah, where do you get off?"

"If it weren't for Measley, _you _wouldn't even be here, Shade!" Silver reminded him, narrowing her eyes.

Measley shook his head, feeling guilty that his sisters defended him so eagerly. "Oh, no! It's all right," he said. "I'm sure it's all in good fun."

"Oh, Measley, don't let it slide!" Faith protested, waving her arm at the three boys. "They're terrible for treating you like this!"

Shade sneered at him. "Oh, poor Measley! Always needing help from a bunch of silly girls!"

"_WHAT_!" the girls bellowed, shaking the den slightly. They'd had enough: the sexist way their father treated them, the way it seemed to be influencing their brothers, everyone always treating them like they were somehow inferior. The girls charged at the boys, tackling them and taking them down easily. The boys yelped, fighting off the girls with little success. Measley watched, unable to decide which team to join. He watched the group roll around in the nest, rustling the bedding all over the place.

Measley did his best to stop the fight, which the girls were easily winning, but it wasn't much. "Um, guys? Err..." He coughed as some straw landed on his head, shaking it off. "I think you should stop now! Please?"

Suddenly, sharp barking sounded from outside their den. Freezing, the bickering weasels looked towards the entrance. To their shock, two black noses poked in, sniffing at them. All of them retreated to the far end of the den, backs pressed against the earth.

"Phew!" one of the foxes barked. "What smelly creatures, don't you think, Scarface?" a snide voice said.

The one called Scarface laughed. "Smells worse than _you_!"

The two unknown visitors guffawed. As they laughed, Measley spotted a row of sharp, pointed teeth in each mouth. _Oh dear! These must be those awful boxes! Or were those soxes?_

"Scarface, Ace! Get away from there!" a gruff voice called from a distance.

The terrified kits watched in fear as the two snouts disappeared, the two fox pups going back to their father. Measley kept an ear out, wanting to make sure they were really going away. Luckily, his ears picked up on the light crunches of snow as the foxes left the area.

Sighing in relief, the kits slumped onto the disheveled nest.

"Oh, that was close," Measley said. "Those must have been those, um... foxes!" He'd suddenly remembered the name.

Dusk shrugged. "Aww, I would have handled those stupid foxes if they came any closer!"

His brothers and sisters stared at him, not believing a word.

"He said we're smelly!" Fawn said, offended. "We don't stink!"

"I know, right?" Purity folded her arms. "The nerve!"

Measley looked around at the mess their fight had made. "We should clean up before Mother and Father get home!"

The others hopped up to help fix up the den. After a couple of minutes and a great display of teamwork, Faith looked outside with a worried expression.

"Measley, do you think they're okay?" Faith asked, writhing her hands.

Measley smiled encouragingly, patting her back. "Of _course_ they are! They're probably just having trouble finding dinner!"

Sure enough, Flint and Jessamine arrived a few minutes later. In each of their mouths was a large rat, its neck snapped. Their parents set their catches on the ground, letting the kits come over to feast.

Jessamine licked her lips, already having had a nice meal out of a few mice. "Was everything okay?" she asked Measley.

Measley nodded. He'd long since decided to not tell her about the foxes they had seen earlier. _It'll only worry Mother, and we already gave her such a scare today…_

Jessamine settled down beside him as they all ate, yawning. "I'm glad."

Flint rested on the opposite side. "Sorry it took us so long. Damned foxes, everywhere you turn! It's getting to be even more of a hassle to find food than it used to be."

"Tell me about it. And what if they have more kits? We'll be overrun!" Jessamine exclaimed, shivering at the thought of so many foxes inhabiting the park.

Measley patted his belly, thankfully full from his meal. He lay down on the nest, burping loudly. "Oh! Excuse me."

Jessamine laughed, but Flint simply narrowed his eyes at his son.

Measley stayed quiet for the rest of the night, thinking. He became determined to look good in his father's eyes. _But how do I do that? _he was forced to wonder.

* * *

Measley quickly found the best opportunity to prove himself to his father: beating his other brothers at swimming. That was the day's lesson, and Measley was confident he would do well. He had always wanted to explore the water. He had seen so many strange yet wonderful creatures dart around in the clear, clean waters, and he was eager to emulate them.

Flint led the band of weasels to the edge of the pond, stopping and turning to face them once they'd arrived. He looked down at his kits, who were all staring up at him with curious eyes.

"All right, weasels. Today, we're learning how to swim," their father announced, looking each of them in the eye. After making sure he had their complete attention, he continued. "You must practice hard at it, and—"

"Oh, Flint, this is supposed to be fun!" Jessamine said, strutting up to the front of the class.

Flint looked at her with an uncertain expression. "But... but this is serious business!" he protested.

"Everything's always 'serious business' for you," Jessamine giggled, poking her husband's puffed-out chest. She grinned as it deflated at her touch, the children giggling at their parents' interaction.

Flint blushed, half-heartedly shooing her poking finger away. "J-Jess! I'm trying to teach."

"I know, Daddy," Jessamine cooed, causing Flint's blush to deepen.

He coughed gently, embarrassed as all the girls 'ooo-ed' at him. "Anyway, watch your mother. She'll perfectly demonstrate the proper way to swim."

Jessamine nodded, gracefully diving off the high perch of a stone and into the glimmering waters below. Her diving technique barely caused a splash as she dipped underwater. The kits gasped and ran over to see if their mother was unharmed. To their relief, she ascended quickly and broke the surface, spitting a thin stream of water from her mouth as she floated on her back. The kits, amazed, clapped their hands.

Jessamine smiled at her audience. "It takes a bit of practice, but I'm sure you'll get it in no time!" she encouraged them.

Measley walked over to the edge of the pond, nearly unable to contain his excitement. "Oh, this looks like so much fun! Can we go in now?"

Flint glared at him. "Not yet."

Measley flinched, taking a few hesitant steps back. Breeze snickered at him, pointing a finger.

"Now, I want you all to—" Flint began.

"Oh! Oh! Can we dive off the big rock?" Fawn cut him off, already scurrying towards the large stone.

Flint quickly stopped her by grabbing the scruff of her neck. "No, no, that's not for beginners! You guys will start by just going into the water."

Silver and Purity looked at each other reluctantly. Silver reached out her paw and gently touched the surface of the water, shivering and snatching her paw back.

"It's cold!" she cried, glaring at the water as if it had offended her.

Dusk pranced past her, jumping into the shallow part of the pond. "Sissy!" he called.

"I am _not _a sissy!" Silver snapped, splashing water in his face. The two proceeded to bicker, much to Flint's frustration.

Measley eagerly waded into the water, followed by Faith and Fawn, nearly oblivious to the cold. His sisters gripped both of his arms, unwilling to let go.

"Aw, it'll be all right!" Measley said reassuringly, kicking at the water. "It's just a big puddle."

Fawn shivered, carefully edging closer. "But we might _drown_."

"Or get eaten by a monster fish!" Faith gulped, watching one of the larger fish swim by under the ripples.

Measley gulped, jumping slightly. _Monster fish? There's no such thing... I hope!_

Jessamine easily swam towards the trembling trio, smiling at them encouragingly. "Come on, loves! The water won't hurt you. I'm here."

The three kits instantly felt a bit better, slowly wading towards their mother. Measley felt the ground beneath his feet clear off, and he immediately waved his arms to keep afloat, his sisters doing the same. Jessamine quickly caught each of them, holding them close.

"Oh... This isn't so easy, is it?" Measley sighed, frustrated and embarrassed that he hadn't reacted correctly.

Jessamine shook her head. "It's not. But no one gets this lesson on the first try! Take your time. Relax. Mother's here to make sure nothing bad happens."

Faith clung to her mother's chest, shaking her head. "No! Nu-uh!"

Fawn shook her head in agreement. "It's much too dangerous!"

Measley turned and watched as Breeze, Dusk, and Shade easily emulated their father. They were paddling (albeit a little clumsily) in a neat line after their leader. Silver and Purity seemed to have given up, sitting back on the edge of the pond and watching with saddened expressions.

_No way am I going to let those three show me up! And I don't want the girls to miss out because dad won't pay attention to us! I'll show the way, and maybe the others will want to join in too!_

"Mother, can I try again?" he asked, not wanting to leave her if she didn't want him to.

Jessamine nodded. "Of course, Measley."

She carefully released him, but kept a steady arm under him just in case he sank again. Fortunately, it seemed that Measley didn't need the precaution; he paddled around quite easily the second time! Seeing Measley swim with ease, Faith and Fawn cautiously followed. Though a bit clumsy, they imitated their older brother with confidence.

Jessamine looked on excitedly, waving to her husband. "Flint! Look! They take to the water like ducklings," she said proudly, watching Measley, Faith, and Fawn swim circles around each other. "Isn't that wonderful?"

Flint looked on with distant eyes, seemingly unimpressed. "Yes, yes."

Purity and Silver, now encouraged to try the same, hopped into the water and slowly paddled over to Jessamine. Storm, Breeze and Dusk waded in the water, watching their siblings.

Flint glared down at them. "Don't let them show you up. Get to swimming!" he growled at the boys, low enough so that his wife would not overhear.

The three boys flinched at their father's words, doing their best to swim even better.

Measley, much to the other's surprise, flipped onto his back and began to back-paddle. He did this seemingly with little effort, swimming in tight circles around his sisters. The girls clapped for him, praising his quick mastering of the water.

Breeze growled softly, jealous. He was supposed to be the fastest at everything! He refused to let the runt of the family best him at anything that involved speed. Breeze furiously paddled toward the group gathered around Measley, intent on grabbing their attention. He watched as Measley dived underwater and come back up. He did the same.

Only this time, he did not come back up.

Jessamine gasped, quickly diving to save him. The tiny weasels looked to each other with worried expressions. Thankfully, a few tense seconds later, Jessamine resurfaced with a coughing Breeze in her arms. She held him, gently patting his back as he spat out water.

"I've got you, Breeze. Don't worry—you're all right," Jessamine murmured reassuringly.

Measley swam over to the two of them, genuinely concerned. "Are you all right, Breeze?"

Breeze glared at him furiously. "Shut up, twerp!"

Measley cringed, hurt. "I was only asking," he sulked.

"Well, mind your own business!" Breeze snapped, folding his arms.

Jessamine frowned. "Breeze, I don't know why you're being so nasty. Measley only asked if you were all right. There's no need to get angry at him. He's not the one to blame, now is he?" she asked, reasonable as always.

Breeze continued to sneer at his brother. "It is! If he wasn't such a show-off!"

"I'm not a show-off!" Measley argued. "All I was doing was swimming!"

"Yes, you are! You're always trying to impress mother or our sisters! Because you know they'll always come to your defense!" Breeze accused, glowering down at him. "You can't fight your own battles!"

Measley hated how his brothers chose every opportunity to belittle him. He'd only been concerned about Breeze's safety, and he was quickly blown off.

Hurt, Measley swam back to the edge of the pond. He didn't have the heart to continue with his swimming, feeling that he would, somehow, only cause more trouble. He placed his head in his hands, letting his feet dangle in the water. _Oh, I'm such a nuisance. It seems no matter what I do, I mess up somehow. So much for impressing Father..._

He saw a few ripples come from the opposite direction. Lifting his head, he saw Jessamine come towards him.

_Oh no! If Father or the others see her helping me, they'll think I'm a wimp!_

Before Jessamine could say anything, Measley bolted away from her. She called out to him, pleading for him to stop, but he didn't listen. He didn't want anyone to think he couldn't handle problems by himself. No longer would he let someone think he was a wimp. A _twerp._

Measley ran a short distance, far enough until the cries of his mother were a good distance away. He quickly jumped into the bushes, not wanting to be found. From his hiding spot, he saw the paws of Jessamine as she appeared in the clearing, turning in circles as she searched for him.

He thought she wouldn't find him. However, he was proven wrong as she easily sniffed him out, pushing apart the branches of the bush to stare at him inquiringly.

He moaned, curling up. "Don't try and defend me, Mother! I can do that by myself," Measley groaned.

Jessamine looked down at him. She didn't want to coddle him; she believed in raising children with a bit of independence. But she also did not want him growing up thinking that he couldn't rely on others—especially family. Picking him up carefully, she lifted him out of the bushes and into the clearing again.

"Measley, I have no intention of babying you," she said gently, stroking the top of his head. "But I'm not going to sit idly by and let your brothers bully you!"

Measley sighed. He had been reckless, running away from her when all she'd done was want to help. _It's almost the same thing Breeze did when all I did was worry about him. That wasn't fair at all!_

"Sorry, Mother. I didn't mean to run off like that," he said, kicking a bit of dirt. "It's just... I don't want you or anyone _else_ to fight for me. I want to do it on my own. I can be tough!"

Jessamine smiled kindly. "Measley, I don't want you to behave like Dusk, Breeze, or Shade."

Measley looked up at her, confused. Flint always encouraged that type of behavior, but here Jessamine was telling him not to!

"Why not?" Measley asked.

Jessamine shook her head. "Because it's rude. You won't make any friends like that. Only enemies. And we weasels have plenty of enemies as it is," she explained, leaning down on one knee to look him in the eye. "There is nothing wrong with the way you are, Measley. Don't go thinking you have to be 'big and bad' like your father tries to teach you. You can be a fighter and still have a gentle heart."

Measley nodded slowly. He was happy his mother liked him just the way he was and how she encouraged him to stand up for himself. He didn't yet understand what she meant by a "gentle heart", but he had a feeling he'd learn its meaning sometime in the future.

Jessamine took his hand, leading them back to the pond. The others were out of the water by this point, shaking themselves off. It was past sunset, and darkness was beginning to fall all around them.

Flint was eager to get back home, and he voiced this to his wife.

"I agree," Jessamine said, looking around at the shadows with a weary eye. "It's not safe to stay out at night. Let's get moving."

The family swiftly scampered through the darkness, back toward their earth. Thankfully, they returned without any complications. Out of the corner of his eye, Measley spotted a long, lithe form slither along the grass from the base of the hill their home sat atop. He wondered if it was the same adder who had helped him a couple nights ago. He also wondered if her eggs had hatched, and if he was likely to see baby snakes around.

* * *

_Maybe one of them could be a friend of mine one day, _Measley thought with a happy smile, following behind Silver and into the warmth of their den. But for the time being, he was eager to get a full night's sleep.

_Thank you all for reading!_

_I hope you liked this chapter. :D There will be a couple more chapters that will deal with the kits being... well, kids. But soon after that they will grow into teenagers._

_Stay tuned for the next chapter!_


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